Miniature animal toy car



June 1 1949' i J. N. OCONNOR ET AL 2,473,296

MINIATURE ANIMAL TOY CAR Filed Nov. 1.3, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l jcljx 060227207 "Q I mfom' SieZZaJ YT. 06072720:

June 14, 1949 J. N. OCONNO R ET AL 2,473,296 I MINIATURE ANIMAL TOY CAR Filed Nov. 13, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l5 31 A I 50 2e 15 JT 1 3 cl xacormor Q v T72"; enTorastezzaj fljafonnord Patented June 14, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MINIATURE ANIMAL TOY CAR Application November 13, 1945, Serial No. 628,126

2 Claims. 1

Our invention relates to improvements in what we have chosen to term a miniature animal toy car, this application being a continuation in part of the improvement set forth in our companion applications, Serial No. 592,854, filed May 9, 1945; Serial No. 602,978, filed July 3, 1945 (now abandoned) Serial No. 605,296, filed July 16, 1945; Serial No. 607,207, filed July 26, 1945 (now abandoned), and Serial No. 613,924 filed August 31, 1945 (now abandoned).

The present application relates more particularly to a combination rocker and sleigh runner attachment for a wheeled toy car or vehicle of the character set forth in our applications above identified, whereby the wheeled toy car referred to can be easily and quickly converted and used as a rocker or as a sleigh.

The primary object of our invention is the production of a wheeled vehicle or toy car of the character above referred to which can be easily and quickly converted as stated without the use of tools, for use either as a rocker or as a sleigh, whereby the usefulness of the device is extended and the amusement and satisfaction of a child is more completely gratified. Among further objects of our invention is maximum simplicity of construction and effectiveness in use.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of our improved miniature animal toy car showing our combined rocker and sleigh attachment applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the cradle rocker attachment removed from the miniature animal toy car; Fig. 3 is a side elevation on a slightly enlarged scale, of the cradle rocker with one of the sleigh runners attached to one of its rockers and showing the manner in which the cradle rocker is removably attached to the body of the miniature animal toy car; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a detail portion of one of the sleigh runners, and Fig. 5 is a cross section on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3.

As shown in the drawings, our miniature animal toy car or vehicle has a body A which is formed with a rearward seat [0, a flat circular head II and an interconnecting web 12. The body is normally supported by rearward and forward pairs of carrier wheels 13 and Hi, the latter being vertically swiveled at 15 on the body and the.

swivel connection carrying the miniature figure l6 representing the head portion of an animal such as a horse. The swivel connection I5 is of ordinary construction and may be in the form of a well known king pin which is usually employed curved opposite ends.

for similar purposes. The body is intended to support a child or infant while the latter is seated upon the seat ill with his or her legs astride of the web l2 and the feet are supported upon a tray H, which latter is hung below the body. A suitable upstanding shield I8 is shown secured by its lower portion at [9 to the seat and by its forward portion to a bifurcated handle 20, which in turn is fastened at 2| to the figure portion IS. The forward connection thus provided serves to hold the figure l6 rigidly and the forward wheels from turning by the swivel connection I5. A handle 22 which is connected to the rearward portion of the vehicle enables an operator to push, pull or guide the vehicle. The handle may be attached to any suitable portion of the vehicle and is not an essential portion of the invention as the vehicle can be guided or propelled without the use of a handle. The structure as described corresponds substantially with the structure set forth in our companion applications for patents above identified, said structure representing one form of wheeled vehicle to which our improvements are applicable, it being understood that the improvements hereinafter set forth are equally applicable to many other types and constructions of vehicles without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Our improvements provide a cradle rocker B which i removably secured to the lower side of the body A of the vehicle so that the latter can be rocked by an attendant by the use of the handle 22 or by the occupant tilting the vehicle structure up and down. The cradle rocker resembles a unitary skeleton frame which is formed with a pair of corresponding rocker members or treads 25 and 26, each of which has upwardly The upwardly curved portions of the pair of rockers at each end of the cradle are formed with reversely curved portions 2'! which extend inwardly from each end of the cradle and converge upwardly and inwardly and terminate in forward and rearward integral offset transverse supporting loops 28 and 29. The rearward loop 29 is secured to the lower surface of the seat [0 by separable couplings 30 and the loop 28 is secured to the lower surface of the head H of the body by separable couplings such as 3|. In this manner the cradle rocker is secured to the vehicle and is supported to prevent lateral tilting. Suitable transverse stay arms 32 and 33 are secured between the pair of rockers or treads to assist in reinforcing the stability of the cradle frame and in maintaining the rockers or treads evenly spaced apart in substantially 3 parallel relation. The cradle rocker thus provided maintains the vehicle structure with its wheels elevated sufficiently to clear the supporting surface below while the vehicle is being rocked.

Each of the rocker members 25 and 26 is provided with a pair of stops 35 which limit the rocking mo tion both forwardlyand backwardly. Each ofiqthese stops has an qutwardtcurve'd end 36 for the purpose which will"be hereinafter described. Consequently the cradle rocker canille easily attached to or detached from the vehicle structure when ever desired. When iattached the vehicle can be used as a rocker, and operated either by the occupant or 'by an attendant.

When not used as a rocker and the latter is detached the vehicle can be run omits carriers-wheels in the ordinary manner.

In addition to a rocker attachment we also provide sled runners which can be easily secured -to-'or-removd from the pair'of rocker -members '25 and 2B. One'of'these-run-nersC-is detachably secured 'to-eachof the rocker members. -*-Each 'runner comprises a substantially straight tubular body -31 whichis formedwitn up curved opposite end portions 38. These end portions are -reversed and curved inwardly and are cupped at or near their extremities as shown in Fig.4-toiorm spring clips 39. By curving the endmembers 3601? the end stops lengthwise and by shaping'the clips 39 to correspond as shown the runners are --adapted-to interlock under spring pressure on the rockers. Also the clips-thus provided on the opposite ends of each-runner are adapted to be tightly engaged over the curved end members 36 of the stops toassist in 'holding-therunners on the rockers and to permit detaching the runners when ever desired. As shown in *Fig. 5 the body portion '48 of each rocker is circular in cross section and the body portion of each runner is cut away and thus channeled downwardly and longitudinally at 41 fora suitable distance between its ends to receive and engage the lower tread surface oi'eachrocker member 'andin cooperation with'the clipstflautomatically r and detachably 'hold the runner securely on the rocker tread. When thus held on the pair of rocker treads of the rocker pradlethe runners enable the vehicle to be additionally used {as a sleigh. By detachingthe runners the vehicle r described the principles of operation of our invention together with the apparatus which we now consider to represent the'best embodiment thereof, .but we desire to have it understood that the construction shown is only'illustrative and that ward reversely curved and transversely converging supporting'loops at their opposite end portions, attaching means separably coupling the upper portions of said loops to the lower side of said body stops 0n the lower side of the opposite ends of each tread for limiting rocking motion, :and a sled runner detachably secured on the lower side of each of said treads, said runner havin a itubulanbodyzformed with upward inturned end portions, said body portion being grooved longitudinally on its upper side and adapted to admit and laterally engage the lower body portion of a companion'tread, and said-inturned-end portions being cupped and engaging underspring tension over --said stops to assist in 'holding the "runner ;longitudinally of the tread.

'In a childs vehicle having a body, a'self contained rocker element-having a-pair of" unitary 'rocker'trea'ds, said treads 'being formed withu-pward reversely curved-and-transversely converging-supporting loops at their opposite end' portions, attaching means separably coupling the upper portions of said loops to the lower side of said "body, stops on the lower side of the ropposite ends of each'tread for limitin rockingmo- "tion, and 'a sled runner detachably securedon the-lowerside of each of-said treads, said runner havinga-tubular body formed with" upward inturned end portions, said body portion being grooved longitudinally on its upper side *and adapted to admit and laterally engage the lower bodyjportion-of a "companion tread-and said' inturned end portions having means for elasping 'said 'stops to assist in holding the runner longitudinally on the tread.

-JACK N. OCONNQR.

STELLA M. OCONNOR.

REFERENCES CITED "The following referenlces "are of .record in the v nle .of this .patent: 

